The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. New York will restrict gas.

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Web Designer Learns Anti-Tank Tactics

Tim J. found this at Yahoo News, of all places: In east Ukraine, a web designer learns how to ambush a tank. The article begins:

“Mykola Kholtobin never expected to volunteer to fight for Ukraine, but this week he found himself crouching in a fox hole and lobbing a mock grenade into a tank as part of a training exercise to prepare for a Russian invasion.

The 32-year-old web designer joined dozens of camouflage-clad reservists in the city of Kharkiv, about 25 km (15 miles) from the Russian border, to rehearse for what might happen in the event of an attack.

Kholtobin was just a baby when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and was brought up speaking Russian as his first language, like millions of others in the east of then-newly-independent Ukraine.

He consciously switched to Ukrainian in 2014 when Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimea region and Russian-backed separatists launched a war with government forces in eastern Ukraine that continues to this day.”

The Great California Egress

Reader C.B. sent this: Rate at which people stopped moving to California surprised researchers: ‘Statewide phenomenon’. JWR’s Comment: People have been voting with their feet for many centuries.

NYC to Restrict Some New Natural Gas Hookups

H.L. flagged this news article: New York will restrict gas for cooking and heating, paving the way for more cities to follow. Here is an excerpt:

“The New York City Council passed a bill, which Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign into law, that prohibits the combustion of fossil fuels, namely gas, for cooking and heating in select new buildings. The ban will apply to new structures under seven stories tall starting in 2024 and to larger buildings in 2027.

New York is not alone. Berkeley, Calif., became the first city in the U.S. to ban gas hookups in new construction in 2019, and now at least 42 cities in California, including San Francisco and San Jose, have acted to limit gas in new buildings.”

Recce Rifle Setup and Camouflage

This Garand Thumb video series is worth watching: Recce Rifle Setup and Camouflage / Mountain Rifle Setup. Becoming Deadly in the Mountains, Part 2.

The Passive Solar Potential of Skylights

Reader Tim J. spotted this, over at the Natural Building blog: The Passive Solar Potential of Skylights. A pericope:

“The researchers found that there is enough solar radiation available to provide about one-third of residential heating needs nationwide. The calculations were based on homes having 100 square feet of skylights oriented towards the south. To understand the potential, the researchers used home energy consumption data and paired it with satellite observations of solar radiation.”

Patriot Nurse: Defiance Is In Our Blood

A new vlog essay from Patriot Nurse: We’re Not the Rest of the World: Defiance is in our Blood.

Some Serious Food For Thought on Mandates From Tim Pool

Timcast IRL – Chicago Mayor Says The Unvaxxed TIME IS UP with Jack Murphy. One of Pool’s key observations in the second hour rings true: Ideological polarization leads to geographical polarization.

The Proliferation of Wireless Signal Jammers

T.R. spotted this interesting article, over at OffGridWeb.com: The Proliferation of Wireless Signal Jammers. Here is a quote:

“Generally, jammers disrupt existing wireless signals by simply drowning them out with noise. By tuning a jammer to a specific target frequency range and blasting high-powered noise, tones, or pulses, a jammer can interfere with nearby receivers that are attempting to listen on that frequency. Traditionally, this meant disrupting radio communications, but the same core principle applies to other types of wireless signals — cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and so on. Jammer range varies widely based on the power and scale of the device; a small handheld jammer might be effective within 100 meters or less in an urban environment…”